The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) has agreed to pay $7.73 million in a settlement over Law School Admission Test (LSAT) policies concerning the disabled. The council will also stop flagging test scores of those who were given extra time, among other policy revisions, the ABA Journal reports. The U.S. Justice Department intervened after the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing brought suit on behalf of 17 disabled individuals in 2012, alleging that they were subjected to cumbersome and unreasonable requirements to document their disabilities after requesting LSAT accommodations. The money will be used to compensate some 6,000 test-takers nationwide who had asked for accommodations under the ADA over the past five years.

Harper Lee, author of the iconic trial novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” wants to reinstate a federal lawsuit she had earlier agreed to settle, the ABA Journal reports. Lee's suit against the Monroe County Heritage Museum in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, alleged that the institution was profiting from using her name and the book's title without authorization on souvenirs it sells. A settlement of the 2013 legal action was announced earlier this year, but it isn't known whether a settlement agreement was actually signed.

Outgoing district attorney general Torry Johnson today said he is not going to run for mayor, the Tennessean reports. Johnson, who announced his retirement in January after nearly 27 years as Davidson County’s top prosecutor, had been on a short list of potential candidates to succeed Mayor Karl Dean when the mayor’s term ends in 2015. At least two people have already declared they will run for the spot, Metro Councilwoman Megan Barry and longtime attorney and Democratic fundraiser Charles Robert Bone. Others rumored to be exploring the possibility of succeeding Dean are Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall, Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry, real estate veteran Bill Freeman, State Rep. Mike Turner, Metro Councilman Jerry Maynard, LEAD Academy founder Jeremy Kane and former school board president David Fox, WSMV reports.

Recent University of Tennessee law graduate Brooke Boyd has been awarded the inaugural Black-Pierce Award, created to honor professors Jerry Black and Carl Pierce who are retiring from the College of Law this summer. Boyd provided 531 hours of pro bono work during her three years of law school and also served as director of UT Pro Bono for 2013–2014. She created a popular pro bono project that provides students the opportunity to work with Knoxville's CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and spent each summer during law school working with the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. 

The law license of Arun Ratan was transferred to disability inactive status on May 20. Ratan cannot practice law while on disability inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court upon showing of clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law. View the BPR notice.

Defendants in a health care liability action appeal the denial of their motions to strike the allegations of comparative fault raised in the amended answer of other defendants and their motions to dismiss the amended complaint. Finding no error, we affirm the decision of the trial court.

Former revenue enforcement officer challenges her termination from the Tennessee Department of Revenue. Because substantial and material evidence supports the Civil Service Commission’s decision, we affirm the chancery court’s judgment.

This appeal concerns the nonpayment of commissions to a business broker. The defendants hired the plaintiff to assist in the sale of all or part of their small business. The parties’ agreement provided that if the defendants entered a transaction with any entity that the plaintiff solicited on their behalf within a certain time period, they would be obliged to pay the plaintiff a percentage of the purchase price. During the stated time period, the defendants sold all of their business’s assets to a third-party company that also hired them as at-will employees.

The defendant, Sandra L. Perez, appeals a jury verdict of guilty of Tenn Care fraud, asserting insufficient evidence upon which to base a verdict of guilty. Finding no error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The petitioner, Clint Sims, appeals the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief, arguing that both his waiver of appointed counsel and his pro se guilty pleas were unknowing due to his mental health issues and the conditions he endured at the jail. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court denying the petition.